Headshots in River Arts District Asheville

I've known Matthew since my move to Asheville, NC, nearly five years ago. Matthew reached out to me, saying he needed some updated headshots and wanted to stay away from the traditional headshot on a background in a studio. Living in Asheville means there is no shortage of outdoor locations. We talked more about what he was looking for and settled on taking photos in the River Arts District, which has a little bit of everything. It can have a great view of the French Broad and, with a short walk, have walls of graffiti to use as background along with some interesting-looking older buildings.

Sticking to Matthew's request for more nature/outdoorsy(not sure that's a word), I found an area in the RAD(River Arts District) with a fair amount of plant growth that served a dual purpose. First, it provided a background Matthew wanted; secondly, it acted as a barrier between us and the sun.

Nearby some metal stairs had a look that I've always been drawn to. At this point, any clouds present when we started vanished. Luckily I bring all my own lighting with me on photo sessions. For this session, I use a studio strobe with a battery pack and a large modifier to overpower the sun while providing soft light.

Working with Matthew was great, and it was nice to catch up after not seeing each other since the pandemic started. There was no shortage of laughs as we caught up on changes in careers and paths in life. Matthew is working his way up the ranks at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, working with their packaging team and QC department.

By the end of the session, Matthew was saying how comfortable he was during the shoot and how much fun he had getting his picture taken.